shore fishing help

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hi im limited to shore fishing i love pike last weekend i went to 15 local lakes at the landings piers etc. one little pike. 1 is it too soon for shore fishing for pike. 2 what type of lures should i be using i used x raps. spoons and spinnerbaits kept getting stuck in weeds lost a few also im i to aggresive in my presentations? thanks for youre help i just feel lost i just cant connect with our toothy little friend.

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Well the key is to find a lake with good shore fishing opportunities. Something like Phalen where the weed edge (along the north side at least) is well within range casting from shore. The water is also clear enough that you can usually snake your lure between the weeds for the last 25 feet or so of your cast.

Often piers are built in the most accessible place (for handicap access and such) and while they try to have deep water available from a pier it's not necessarily the best place to fish.

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Don't know where you're at, but I fish small lakes from shore for the first couple weeks after opener every year. They warm up quicker, especially if you can find an accessible north bay, & often nice fish will be in the shallows as well. Often by the first week of June I've given up & gone all boat as the water warms & leaves only the little guys to be caught casting from shore.

I use spinnerbaits a lot shore fishing because they're less prone to snagging & hanging up. Nothing worse than smacking a submerged log with a $6 Rapala twenty feet from shore & not being able to retrieve the stupid thing.

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Now is the best time to get them from shore in my opinion, I agree...sucker minnow and bobber, if its weedy, dont let the minnow go down far, a foot or 2 below bobber is fine. I dont fish from shore so I dont know about where to go, but the fish are shallow and therefor can be caught from shore.

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sucker minnow and a bobber-come mid june you can switch to a sinker rig and let it ride closer to bottom. Where do you live? I'm sure we can help point you in the right direction of good shore fishing opportunities for pike this time of year.

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Vermillion river, to the left of the public boat launch in Hastings about 5 feet, sucker, or, shiner is better. cast out about three feet,thats not a typo... cast out three feet from shore, with about six feet of line below a slip bobber. it's about 2 feet deep. step back and wait. guaranteed good time. to the right, about 100 feet there is a high bank. directly accross the river from there, there is an inlet. put on a 1 oz. slip sinker, i prefer worm weight style, medium sucker or shiner, cast as far as you can. as close to other shore as possible. sit back and wait. if water is really fast put more weight on. may even tie into a nice catfish or two. not as for sure there but more bigger fish when they are on the bite. good luck.

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I have to agree with comments about Phalen, that's a great little lake with shockingly clear water. I wish there were muskies in it!

-JR

There's tigers in there, I've caught a small one. I've heard though quite a few of them are taken illegally by people who aren't familiar with the regs or can't ID the fish correctly. So there may not be many large ones in there.

I will get the archery, and go whenever I feel like it... I like that! But first I will work on getting my son onto another bird. I really like the changes that the DNR have implemented the last few years!

Yes, it's sad that people push the limits without being prepared. People are anxious to get out. I checked this lake tonight and I think I was the third person to set foot on the ice already. The first spud check was already frozen solid.